Coyotes News

‘Yotes Notes: Doan Notches 46th Two-Goal Game

GLENDALE – Captain Shane Doan scored two goals and assisted on Connor Murphy’s game-winner Tuesday night to key a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Gila River Arena.

Doan, who has eight goals in 24 games, is hoping the three-point game will trigger more.

“I have had (just) five or six goals going into Christmas quite a few years in a row and I ended up getting better in the second half,” Doan said. “Hopefully it can continue. You want to contribute and help out.”

The two-goal game was the 46th of Doan’s NHL career.

Doan scored his goals 14 seconds apart in the first period. As impressive as that is, it’s not a franchise record. Deron Quint scored two goals just four seconds apart for the Winnipeg Jets against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 15, 1995. Doan, a rookie at the time, was on the ice when Quint achieved that feat.

Doan will enter the holiday break with 376 goals, three shy of tying Dale Hawerchuk for first place on the franchise’s list for goals scored.

Doan has one hat trick, which he notched in dramatic fashion on Jan. 7, 2012. He flirted with a second on Tuesday but chose not to shoot at an empty net/risk an icing call late in the third period. Instead, he gently and safely lifted the puck out of the Coyotes zone.

“I was hoping for it,” Head Coach Dave Tippett said about Doan’s bid for another hat trick. “He had two or three chances to do it tonight… He had a chance to shoot at the empty net but he couldn’t get to the red line, so he did what was right for the team. That speaks volumes about who he is.”

• With his father Tie Domi attending the game, rookie Max Domi took part in his first NHL fight. His bout with Maple Leafs forward Peter Holland took place in the second period and it was brief.

Tie Domi, of course, is a legendary NHL enforcer who took part in 333 fights.

• The Maple Leafs believed they scored a goal at 12:58 of the second period and issued a Coach’s Challenge.

Here’s the official ruling from the NHL:

“At 12:58 of the second period in the Maple Leafs/Coyotes game, Toronto requested a Coach's Challenge to review the ‘Interference on the Goalkeeper’ decision that resulted in a ‘no goal’ call.

After reviewing all available replays and consulting with NHL Hockey Operations staff, the Referee confirmed that Toronto's Shawn Matthias made incidental contact with Arizona goaltender Louis Domingue before the puck crossed the goal line, preventing Domingue from doing his job in the crease.

Therefore the original call stands – no goal Toronto Maple Leafs.

Since the Coach’s Challenge did not result in the original call being overturned, the Maple Leafs forfeit their time-out.”

• The Coyotes, who entered the game as the best face-off team in the NHL, won of 47 of 73 draws vs. the Maple Leafs. That’s 63 percent. Brad Richardson led the way by winning 15 of 19 face-offs.

• The Coyotes improved to 10-1-1 vs. Toronto in the past 12 games.

• Defenseman Nicklas Grossmann suffered an upper-body injury during the game and played just 9:34.

“I think he'll be all right coming out of the break,” Tippett said.

• Center Martin Hanzal returned to the scratch list because of a nagging lower-body injury. The Coyotes are 2-4-1 in the seven games they’ve played minus Hanzal this season. Meanwhile, defenseman Zbynek Michalek missed his fourth straight game because of a lower-body injury.